Renderings

The 511 Federal Building will be renovated for its new tenant, the Pacific Northwest College of Art.

“Being by the park blocks is going to be huge,” he said. “They really want to become the north anchor in the way (Portland State University) captures the south park blocks. There will be a symbiotic relationship between the park and the school ultimately.”

Also, a vacant property on the western side of the building, owned by the city, is expected to be developed into a park, according to Bixby.

The renovation will give PNCA students more space to operate. Presently, the school leases multiple spaces around town – and the total square footage isn’t sufficient to accommodate the school’s growing student population.

The bulk of the PNCA’s curriculum will be taught in the 129,000-square-foot 511 Federal Building, though the school will continue to operate out of its facility on Johnson Street in the Pearl District. The former post office will be fitted to hold painting studios, a multiuse theater space and a gallery space. The building’s center will feature a large atrium where students will be able to gather and socialize.

Because the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, its exterior will not change in appearance and only be restored and cleaned.

“We are doing a sensitive infusion of new architecture to contrast the old with a light touch,” Bixby said.

The project is presently in the design review process.

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